4 hours ago
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MG has updated the SUV version of the MG 4 electric hatch to look like a completely different MG 4 it has little in common with.
Electric Cars
MG's rival to the BYD Atto 3, the S5 EV, has been treated to a restyle – and a new name – in China, less than 18 months after going on sale.
Now known as the MG 4X, the electric SUV adopts the styling of the new, front-wheel-drive MG 4 Urban due in Australia next month, with the rear-wheel-drive platform of the original MG 4.
MG no longer offers the rear-drive MG 4 in China – leaving it for overseas markets only – so it has updated the S5 EV to look like the MG 4 hatch it does sell, the front-wheel-drive version, even if the MG 4X is a different vehicle underneath.
Australian plans are yet to be confirmed, but given the S5 EV went on sale locally less than a year ago – even more recent than the 18 months it has spent in Chinese dealers – the current name is likely to be retained for a while yet.
Styling changes focus on a new front fascia with single-piece LED headlights and a full-width light bar, plus a new alloy wheel design.
There do not appear to be any changes to the rear of the vehicle, nor its footprint. Inside, Car News China reports it is fitted with technology developed by phone maker Oppo, and offers semi-autonomous city driving features.
Reports out of China claim the MG 4X uses semi-solid-state battery technology that debuted in the unrelated, front-drive MG 4 hatch, for a driving range rating based on Chinese CLTC testing of 510km.
The Chinese lab-test cycle tends to offer more optimistic range estimates than the NEDC or WLTP figures quoted in Australia.
The MG S5 SUV already on sale in China – where it is badged as the ES5 – carries CLTC figures of 425km to 525km, from 49.1kWh, 62.2kWh, and 64kWh batteries.
Australian versions of the S5 EV are available with 49.1kWh and 62.2kWh batteries, rated to 335km and 425km under WLTP testing, respectively. Both versions are powered by a 125kW motor in Australia.
For comparison, the MG 4 Urban hatch is sold in China with a choice of 42.8kWh, 54kWh, and 70kWh batteries, for CLTC ranges of 437km to 530km.
The MG 4X will be sold alongside the front-wheel-drive MG 4 hatch, which replaced the rear-wheel-drive version in China last year, but will be sold alongside it internationally.
MG’s strategy behind the two-model MG 4 range has been driven by slow sales of the rear-wheel-drive electric hatch in the Chinese market, despite praise for the car’s handling and packaging in overseas markets.
The cheaper, more accessible front-drive MG 4 Urban has been designed with less polarising styling and an improved interior, in an attempt to find sales success.
The current MG S5 EV starts from $42,990 drive-away in Australia, dearer than the BYD Atto 2 from $31,990, Jaecoo J5 from $35,990, and Leapmotor B10 from $37,888, all before on-road costs.
Electric Cars Guide
Kez Casey migrated from behind spare parts counters to writing about cars over ten years ago. Raised by a family of automotive workers, Kez grew up in workshops and panel shops before making the switch to reviews and road tests for The Motor Report, Drive and CarAdvice.
